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The Countywide
Karnes County's community newspaper

Originally published on December 3, 2003

Odds and Ends

By: W.C. Reader

Congratulations to Alfred Pargmann and Frances Pargmann who recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Golly! Isn’t that the same number of years (three score and ten) that the good Lord has allotted us to stay on this earth, marriage included? ----- One of the nice things about sitting and loafing on benches and chairs at places around town is the opportunity it gives us to converse (talk) with our former students. The latest is Dorothy Ploch Franta, whom we once taught in Gillett. (But we are not going to tell how long ago that was Dorothy! ----- Next, along comes Evangeline Skloss, Runge-Ex, stopped off to discuss with us the comings and the goings of her and her family. ----- And then, Geneva Treybig Smedley, comes along and enlightens us about some of her latest artistic creations at her home in Charco. ----- Met up with Sonny Prasek along the way a couple of weeks ago, but all we remember is that it wasn’t a convenient place to stick him for the cost of a cup of coffee. ----- Robert Hartman telling us that he accomplished two things when he talked his good wife, Jean Hartman, into marrying him. He also liberated her from the cotton fields down around Burnell. (Jean, we’ll bet there are oodles of folks in Karnes County who don’t know where Burnell is – or was.) ----- Now if you are feeling down-and-out, just walk through that line at Wal-Marts, where Rosalie Rapstine works, as a checker, and soon she will have you smiling –or laughing out loud. ----- Troy True pausing a moment to tell us about the size of the antlers of a buck he has under observation for the coming hunting season. But like our son-in-law, Chuck Richmond, bet he never come through with the evidence when it counts. ----- Talking about his hometown, Green, with H.J. Kolinek, the other day, and asked him if anything was left out there besides cousin, Adolph Kolinek. ----- Stopped Rhode Tyrone the other day to comment favorably on those blue and white striped overalls (or is it overhalle) he was wearing and told him to be careful or he was going to start another fashion trend among the young folks. ---- People flash many happy smiles at us in the course of a day, and among the loveliest is the one flashed by Sister Alena of the Pope John Paul, II Nursing Home. Enjoyed our recent talk in which she brought us up to date on another good friend, Sister Maria. ----- And another ex-student who is making good. Dahlia Aguirre telling us she has switched jobs since we last saw her. She now taken on the noble task of working with Special Education students. Carry on, Dahlia! ----- Roy Bailey taking us back in the past by mentioning many of the people who used to work at the Kenedy Cottonseed Oil Mill, Kenedy Compress, and four nearby gins. Those were the days when cotton was king in this area. ----- James Hierholzer of Fashing recently exchanged pleasantries with us and told us that cousin (by marriage) Katie Hierholzer Reader is still holding her own with those city folks in San Antonio. Hang in there, Katie. ----- Always a delight to have a reunion with some people whose friendship you treasure very much. We are talking about the Kaiser Home Health staff, whose pictures recently appeared in “The Countywide” and it included Charlene Braudaway, Virginia Longoria, Maria Mohr, Dimitri Chinin, Sherri Thomas, Leona Holland, Rachel Molina, Ginger Matula and Patricia Garcez. These mighty fine people have been among these who were instrumental in getting us out of a wheelchair and on our feet again. Thanks, folks!

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